
David Peterson Professor of History, Emeritus

petersond@wlu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Education
- Ph.D. 1985 Cornell University
- M.A. 1977 Cornell University
- M.Litt. 1975 Edinburgh University
- B.A. 1973 College of William and Mary
Research
The relationship between religion and politics, church history and political thought, especially in medieval and Renaissance Italy
Teaching
European Medieval, Renaissance and Reformation history; European Medieval and Renaissance church history and political thought; Dante, and Machiavelli
Current Research
Professor Peterson is writing a book on Power and the Sacred: Religion, Politics and the Church in Renaissance Florence, 1375-1460. It explores religion's influence on Florentine politics and social life, and politics' impact on the Florentine church when Florence was shaping the culture of early Renaissance Italy.